Westpac Home and Contents Insurance helping people impacted by severe flooding – flood standard policy cover

Westpac General Insurance said it has received more than 850 claims from customers affected by the storms and flooding impacting south east Queensland and northern NSW as a result of Cyclone Debbie.

Most claims have been received from the Whitsunday Islands and coast, south east Queensland and Lismore and more claims are expected as a result of rain and flooding moving down the east coast of Australia.

Westpac said it wanted to reassure any impacted customers that flood insurance is standard cover for Westpac Home and Contents policies.

Westpac General Manager Insurance, Sue Houghton said sometimes after these sorts of events there is a conversation around flood insurance and concerns about cover.

“There is no ambiguity, flood cover is absolutely part of how we help customers and is standard in our home policies. Our priority is to get our customers back on their feet and into their homes as quickly as possible,” Ms Houghton said.

Westpac General Insurance has:

• Contacted over 4,000 customers in high impact areas via SMS to assure them that they are standing by to assist them including on how to make a claim
• Placed additional staff and extended hours of operation in its call centre
• Placed Insurance staff into affected local Westpac branches
• Dispatched local assessors in the region
• Made safe a number of flood damaged properties
• Provided emergency one-off payments
• Placed customers into emergency accommodation

“We know this is a very trying time for many people, and we are here to help. Claims can be lodged 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone or by using our online insurance claims service, available also on smartphone and tablets,” Ms Houghton said.

Flood waters in Rockhampton are expected to peak on Wednesday and Westpac is monitoring the situation closely and wants to assure its customers in the region that the additional staffing and hours of operation will continue to service any claims.

Westpac Home and Contents Insurance policies are available across the group including: Westpac, Bank of Melbourne, St.George and Bank SA customers.

For enquiries contact

Lisa Parrett
Media Relations
0432 933 796

Information is current as at 03/04/2017.

Westpac Home and Contents Insurance is issued by Westpac General Insurance Limited ABN 99 003 719 319. Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 arranges the insurance, but does not guarantee the insurance. This information does not take into account your personal circumstances. Terms and conditions, and limitations and exclusions apply. Please note that new policies do not provide flood cover for at least 7 days, cyclone cover for at least 5 days, and storm cover for at least 48hrs, from the date the policy commences (longer exclusion periods may apply during natural disasters). Read the Product Disclosure Statement at westpac.com.au/insurance or ask in branch.